5 Key Stories: 7/7/24 – 7/14/24

With training camps just around the corner, the NFL’s offseason period has nearly come to an end. Recent days have already seen a few notable developments, however. In case you missed anything from the past week, here is a quick recap:

  • Steelers’ Sutton Receives Eight-Game Suspension: Cameron Sutton was released by the Lions after it was learned an arrest warrant had been issued for domestic battery. The veteran corner later reunited with the Steelers after he entered into a pretrial diversion program while an NFL investigation took place. That process has yielded an eight-game suspension for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. The 29-year-old served as a starter at the end of his first Steelers stint and handled first-team duties in Detroit last season, but his role once available will be interesting to monitor. Sutton – who signed for the league minimum upon returning to Pittsburgh – will not appeal the ban, confirming he will not be able to make his season debut until Week 10.
  • Higgins To Play On Bengals Tag In 2024: Tee Higgins resided as the only player who received a franchise or transition tag this offseason who had yet to sign a long-term deal. The deadline for he and the Bengals to work out such an agreement is Monday, but it is set to pass without an extension in place. As a result, Higgins will (as expected) enter the 2024 campaign as a pending free agent. The former second-rounder will collect $21.82MM this season before receiving a second tag or testing the market. Higgins, 25, submitted a trade request this offseason before publicly admitting he expected to remain in Cincinnati for one more year. The Bengals (a team with a monster Ja’Marr Chase extension still to navigate) are not believed to have engaged in Higgins negotiations for more than one year, with a market-level offer yet to emerge. A 2025 departure remains a distinct possibility in this case.
  • Adams Lands Titans Deal: A number of veteran safeties are still on the market, but Jamal Adams is not one of them. The former All-Pro (who was released this spring by the Seahawks) signed a one-year Titans deal. That pact carries a value of $1.13MM, a stark contrast to the $17.5MM annual value of his Seattle contract. Adams has been limited to 10 games over the past two seasons due to injuries, and his value moving forward will be determined in large part by his ability to remain healthy in 2024. He is confident that will be possible, and by signing with the Titans the three-time Pro Bowler will reunite with defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson after the pair worked together with the Jets. That familiarity could produce a bounce-back campaign.
  • No Extension Imminent For Patriots, Judon: The Patriots have continued negotiating an extension with edge rusher Matt Judon, and an offer was recently submitted. No agreement is considered imminent, however, with the four-time Pro Bowler indicating he does not expect a deal to be worked out in the near future. One year remains on Judon’s contract, one which falls well short of the top of the edge market. He has proven to be a highly impactful player when healthy in New England, but in 2023 he was limited to four contests. The Patriots have retained a number of in-house players this offseason, but approaching his age-32 season Judon represents an interesting case study in that regard. Regardless of how extension talks go in the near future. Judon is not expected to hold out during training camp.
  • Texans Re-Sign Hughes: The Texans added Jerry Hughes in 2022, and he has logged 18 starts since then. The 35-year-old saw a dip in playing time last season, but he nevertheless elected to sign a new Houston deal. Hughes is likely to shoulder a rotational workload along the edge in 2024 as the Texans signed Danielle Hunter in free agency to replace Jonathan Greenard. Hunter and Will Anderson should take on starter’s roles, but Hughes could chip in on a rotational basis. The latter had the second most productive season of his career in 2022 with nine sacks, and he has remained durable deep into his NFL tenure. As the Texans approach 2024 with high expectations, Hughes will collect as much as $2.6MM on his latest deal.
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